Wisdom: Luqmān the Sage said to his son, “If you safeguard two things you need not fret over anything else you may lose: your dirham, which sustains your livelihood, and your religion, which secures your return to the Hereafter.”
Wisdom: Anūshirwān once asked Buzurjmihr, “What could make an enemy a friend?” He replied, “That would be like trying to rebuild a ruin, for demolishing what is sound is easier than restoring what is desolate, and shattering intact glass is simpler than mending it once it has been broken.” He also said, “A healthy body is better than drinking medicines; abandoning sin is better than seeking forgiveness; suppressing desire is better than stifling grief; and resisting the ego when it inclines to pride is better than ending up in the Fire.”
Wisdom: One of the early sages roamed the lands for many years, teaching people six maxims: Whoever lacks knowledge has no honor in this world or the next; whoever lacks patience finds no safety in his religion; the ignorant gain no benefit from their deeds; whoever has no piety enjoys no esteem with God; the miser takes no share of his own wealth; and whoever does not obey will have no plea before God.
Wisdom: Buzurjmihr was asked, “What kind of honor is inseparable from humiliation?” He answered, “Honor acquired through serving the ruler, honor pursued with greed, and honor accompanied by folly.”
Wisdom: He was asked, “How should the dull-witted be disciplined?” He said, “By commanding them to do much work and assigning them arduous tasks, leaving them neither avenue for idle talk nor time to spare.” He was asked, “How should the base-minded be disciplined?” He replied, “By humiliating and belittling them so that they recognize the lowness of their station.” He was asked, “How should the free-born be disciplined?” He said, “By delaying the fulfillment of their requests.” He was also asked, “Who is the truly generous one?” He answered, “The one who gives and does not remind others that he has given.”
Wisdom: Someone asked, “Why do people ruin themselves for the sake of wealth?” He replied, “Because they imagine that wealth is the best of all things, yet they do not realize that the purpose for which wealth is sought is better than the wealth itself.”
Wisdom: He was asked, “Can there be anything dearer than the soul, for the sake of which people would lay down their lives—”